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By Waterford City & County Council

Spick and Span Awards for four Waterford estates

 Four Waterford housing estates in the city and county were recently presented with plaques recognising their achievement in Waterford’s Spick and Span Tidy Estates Competition.  The awards were presented by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Kelly, Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Seanie Power, Dungarvan / Lismore District Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Declan Doocey, and Comeragh Cathaoirleach, Cllr. John O’ Leary.

The initiative was lead by the Waterford City and County Council’s Estate Management Team and was launched earlier in the summer to coincide with National Bee Day.

Highlighting the importance of biodiversity and sustainability, Eamonn O’Leary, Estate and Tenancy Management Officer was delighted with the response from Local Authority Residents Associations.

Henry Moloney, Estate Management Officer added, “The Spick and Span Awards recognise the tireless and selfless work done by individuals, residents associations and communities in keeping their estates well maintained.  We put out a call inviting housing estates to apply for starter packs of bedding plants and compost to help enhance the open spaces and we received over 40 requests from housing estates throughout the city and county.”

“The results were fantastic and it wasn’t an easy task to choose the overall winners, as the standard throughout was so high.  The estates were judged on an area basis, with winning entrants from each of the council administrative areas.”

The award-winning estates are Alexander Street in the city, Hillside Close in Kilmacthomas, Na Fearnóga, Ballinroad in Dungarvan, and Brideview Close in Tallow.

The Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Kelly said, “There are so many housing estates in our communities that are a great source of pride.  It’s the hard work of the volunteers and residents’ associations that go that extra mile to improve and enhance the shared communal spaces.”

“The Spick and Span awards recognise that dedication and effort, and I’d like to acknowledge all the estates and their associations that took part in the competition in order to keep our outdoor living spaces clean, green and welcoming.”

Each winning housing estate received a wall-mounted plaque recognising their achievement, along with six day passes to visit the world-renowned Mount Congreve House and Gardens, regarded as one of “the great gardens of the world”, sponsored by Ray Sinnott of the Mount Congreve Trust and Gardens and Waterford City and County Council.

 

By Waterford City & County Council

Poetry Ireland announces Poet Laureate for Dungarvan, Co Waterford, as part of Poetry Town initiative

Appointed poet to write poem honouring and reflecting Dungarvan and its people

Poetry Ireland has today (17.08.21) announced the names of the Poet Laureates selected as part of the Poetry Town initiative, which will see more than a hundred poetry-related activities take place in 20 towns across the island of Ireland between 10th and 18th September 2021.

Dungarvan in Co Waterford is among the Poetry Towns, and Poetry Ireland, in conjunction with Waterford City and County Council Arts Office, has appointed Áine Uí Fhoghlú as the Poet Laureate for the town.

aine_ui_fhoghlu_dungarvan

A writer of poetry and fiction, Áine Uí Fhoghlú comes from the Waterford Gaeltacht area, An Rinn (further information below).

All Poet Laureates announced today are either from the respective local area or have strong connections with it and have been commissioned to write a poem honouring and reflecting their Poetry Town and its people.

As part of the week-long Poetry Town celebrations next month, each Poet Laureate will reveal and present their poem to the people of their Poetry Town at a series of flagship online events, one of which will be hosted in each town. Each event will also feature contributions from other local poets, artists and musicians (further details about these events is available on the Poetry Town website).

Further activities will include a series of poetry events involving local poets; poetry workshops; public poetry displays, including ‘Poetry Underfoot’; and a range of physical activities called ‘Poems that Move You’, which will vary from town to town.  Local businesses, including cafés and chemists, will also be participating in the activities to celebrate their towns by distributing ‘pocket poems’ to customers. The full programme of activities for each town will be made available on the Poetry Town website during the last week of August.

Commenting, Director of Poetry Ireland, Niamh O’Donnell said: “We are delighted we could secure such a strong cohort of Poet Laureates for this exciting newpoetry initiative, which is characterised by collaboration and communal experiences.

“The aim of Poetry Town is to celebrate the vitality and strength of our towns and communities, and to shine a light on the wealth of creativity and talent that can be found in them. The diversity of this talent is reflected in the selection of Laureates, which includes both well-known visionary poets and new powerful voices.”

Áine Uí Fhoghlú added: “The Déise area of west Waterford, with Dungarvan at its heart, has a long tradition of poetry going back through the centuries, Donnchadh Rua Mac Conmara and Máire Ní Dhonnagáin being just two of the better-known poets associated with the locality in the past.

“In that proud tradition, it is a great honour for me to accept my nomination as Laureate for Dungarvan and I look forward to working with Waterford City and Council Arts Office and all the other parties who have made the exciting 2021 Poetry Town project possible. Poetry is for everyone, let’s make sure everyone knows it!”

Poetry Town is an initiative of Poetry Ireland in partnership with Local Authority Arts Offices. It is made possible with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland’s Open Call funding, and is also supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. 

For further information, visit the Poetry Town website: poetrytown.ie.

Fógraíonn Éigse Éireann/Poetry Ireland Ríon-Éigeas do Dhún Garbhán, Co Phort Láirge mar chuid de thionscnamh Bhaile na hÉigse

D’fhógair Éigse Éireann/Poetry Ireland ainmneacha na Ríon-agus na Rí-Éigse inniu (17.08.21) mar chuid de thionscnamh Bhailte na hÉigse nuair a reáchtálfar breis is céad imeacht filíochta i bhfiche baile ar fud oileán na hÉireann idir an 10ú agus an 18ú Meán Fómhair 2021.

Tá Dún Garbhán, Co Phort Láirge ar cheann des na Baile Filíochta agus tá Éigse Éireann, i gcomhar le hOifig Ealaíon Chomhairle Cathrach & Contae Phort Láirge, tar éis Áine Uí Fhoghlú a cheapadh mar Ríon-Éigse don mbaile.

Is scríbhneoir agus file í Áine Uí Fhoghlú ón Rinn i nGaeltacht na nDéise (tuilleadh eolais thíos).

aine_ui_fhoghlu_dungarvan

Gach Ríon-Rí-Éigse a fógraíodh inniu, is filí áitiúla iad nó tá ceangal láidir acu leis an gceantar. Coimisiúnaíodh iad chun dán a chumadh in ómós don Bhaile Éigse agus dá mhuintir.

Mar chuid de cheiliúradh Bhaile na hÉigse a mhairfidh ar feadh seachtaine an mhí seo chugainn, nochtfaidh gach Ríon-Rí-Éigeas dán leo do phobal Bhaile na hÉigse mar chuid de mhórimeachtaí na féile, agus imeacht díobh sin in gach baile. Glacfaidh filí áitiúla eile páirt sa cheiliúradh, chomh maith le healaíontóirí agus ceoltóirí (tuilleadh sonraí ar fáil ón suíomh gréasáin Poetry Town).

Beidh imeachtaí breise ann le filí áitiúla; ceardlanna filíochta; taispeántais phoiblí filíochta agus réimse d’imeachtaí fisiceacha ar a dtugtar ‘Dánta a Chorraíonn Sinn’ agus a stampa féin ag gach baile orthu. Beidh gnólachtaí áitiúla, mar shampla cógaslanna, páirteach sna himeachtaí chun ‘dánta póca’ a dháileadh ar chustaiméirí. Léireofar clár iomlán na n-imeachtaí ar shuíomh gréasáin Bhaile na hÉigse an tseachtain dheireanach de mhí Lúnasa.

Arsa Stiúrthóir Éigse Éireann/ Poetry Ireland, Niamh O’Donnell: “Tá aoibhneas orainn gur éirigh linn grúpa tréitheach de Ríon-is Rí-Éigse a fháil don tionscnamh breá filíochta seo agus rannpháirtíocht an phobail ina lár.

“Aidhm na mBailte Éigse ná beocht ár mbailte is ár mbailte fearainn a chomóradh, agus díriú ar an gcruthaitheacht agus ar an tallann ina measc. Feicfear éagsúlacht a gcuid buanna go léir sna filí atá ceaptha don ghradam seo, filí seanbhunaithe a bhfuil eolas againn cheana ar a bhfís, chomh maith le guthanna tréana úrnua.

Deir Áine Uí Fhoghlú: “Tá traidisiún ársa filíochta in Iarthar na nDéise agus i nDún Garbhán ag dul siar na céadta bliain; tá cáil ar dhaoine ar nós Donnchadh Rua Mac Conmara agus Máire Ní Dhonnagáin ach go háirithe mar fhilí den scoth a raibh baint acu leis an gceantar seo fadó.”

“Ag cuimhneamh siar ar an traidisiún iontach seo, is mór an onóir domsa glacadh le m’ainmniúchán mar Ríon-Éigse do Dhún Garbhán agus tá mé ag súil go mór le bheith ag obair le hOifig Ealaíon Chomhairle Cathrach & Contae Phort Láirge agus leis na rannpháirtithe eile a bhí ag obair ar thogra spreagúil seo na mBailte Éigse. Tá an fhilíocht ar fáil do gach aoinne agus cinnteoimis anois go dtuigtear é sin!”

Tionscnamh de chuid Éigse Éireann i gcomhar le hOifigí Ealaíon na nÚdarás Áitiúil é Baile na hÉigse. Maoiniú ó Ghairm Oscailte na Comhairle Ealaíon a chuir ar ár gcumas é a chur ar bun, agus tá tacaíocht faighte againn chomh maith ó Chomhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann.

Le haghaidh tuilleadh faisnéise, tabhair cuairt ar shuíomh Gréasáin an Bhaile Filíochta: poetrytown.ie.

By Waterford City & County Council

Artlinks award for Waterford led Project

artlinks_logo

ArtLinks partners in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford City & County Council is pleased to announce that in 2021 we are in the position to offer a discretionary award in addition to the overall Collaborative Bursary Award winner, Na Cailleacha.

The artists selected are soprano Róisín O’Grady, Waterford, harpist Siobhan Armstrong, Kilkenny and seán nos singer Cárthach Mac Craith, An Rinn each prominent in their own field. The project brings these musicians together to perform music from Ireland and Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries with performances planned in 2022.

This award will allow a new collaboration between three respected Irish artists who combine expertise from their different fields. This trio has come together to explore the music of Ireland and its colonists, in the seventeenth- and eighteenth centuries: involving a sean-nós singer who lives at the heart of vernacular Irish vocal music, and a soprano with a ‘Historically Informed Performance’ background, where sensitivity to historical performance techniques and aesthetics is an integral part of the enterprise. The harp soloist and accompanist for both these singers is unique in Ireland, playing not only Ireland’s early harp but also a 17th-century European harp with three rows of strings, suitable for the performance of Renaissance and baroque European music.

Recognising the importance of supporting artists, the local authority Arts Offices of Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford, through the Artlinks programme, have been supporting artists in all art forms living in the South East region in the form of annual bursaries and professional development initiatives. ArtLinks is a partnership of the four Local Authority Arts Offices in  Wexford , Waterford, Carlow and Kilkenny , and is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

For all ArtLinks enquiries please contact artlinks.ie@gmail.com

Follow @Artlinks.ie on Facebook and Instagram for more information and updates.

 

By Waterford City & County Council

Artlinks Collaboration Award 2021 Bursary Announcement

The ArtLinks partners are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Artlinks Collaboration Award are Na Cailleacha, an exhibition collaboration between visual artists from the South East region including Gerda Teljeur and Maria Lavigne based in Wexford, and Helen Comerford and Catherine Marshal based in Kilkenny. This collaborative exhibition will tour to arts venues in the South East including Wexford Arts Centre and Garter Lane Arts Centre,Waterford in 2021 and 2022 .

Recognising the importance of supporting our artists, the local authority Arts Offices of Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford, through the Artlinks programme, have been supporting artists in all art forms living in the South East region in the form of annual bursaries and professional development initiatives. In 2020 we introduced the Artlinks Collaboration Award worth up to €10,000, the aim of which is to encourage more collaboration between artists across the Artlinks counties and support artists seeking to expand their practice and networks regionally.

Na Cailleacha (the Witches) is an artists’ collective composed of eight women ranging in age from 64 to 84 years, dedicated to exploring creativity and lobbying for the needs of ageing artists. As part of Na Cailleacha exhibition they are planning a series developmental workshops and exploratory discussions , with invited guests from disciplines and areas of work, to be hosted in partner venues as they tour the South East beginning with The Age of Reason/Unreason at the Wexford Arts Centre in 2021 and later at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford. These workshops and discussions will explore ageing, art practice, health, creativity as a source of energy, isolation reduction and feminism, from a variety of viewpoints and will take place across disciplines of film, performance, music and painting,

For all ArtLinks enquiries please contact artlinks.ie@gmail.com

Follow @Artlinks.ie on Facebook and Instagram for more information and updates.

By Waterford City & County Council

Entries now OPEN for the annual Molly Keane Creative Writing Award 2021

Since 1998 the Arts Office has been running this national annual Creative Writing Award to celebrate the rich literary life of the late Molly Keane. Molly lived in Ardmore, Co. Waterford until she died in 1996. She started writing at a young age to ‘supplement her dress allowance’. Her first ten novels and four plays were published under the pseudonym M.J. Farrell.

She married into the Keane family of West Waterford but sadly her husband died at the age of 36. Molly ceased writing until 1981 when ‘Good Behaviour’ was published under her real name. It became a publishing sensation and was well received as a masterpiece of black comedy for which she was short-listed for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

The Arts Office, Waterford City & County Council by kind permission of the Keane family is now inviting entries for a previously unpublished short story for this years’ award.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 25th June 2021 at 12 noon. There is a prize fund of €500 for the winner and there is no entry fee. Full guidelines and the online submission details are now live on the Waterford Submit platform see: https://submit.link/98

By Waterford City & County Council

Congratulations to Waterford Writers

The Arts Office wish to congratulate the writers from Waterford who have been assigned places from the Munster Literature Centre on their mentoring course commencing in May.  Twenty four mentorships in Fiction, Poetry and Memoir were on offer to all Munster based writers.

The successful Waterford recipients are: Fiona Ennis, Butlerstown, Co. Waterford  with mentor Danny Denton. Ger Duffy, Tramore with Afric McGlinchy. Fergus Hogan/Waterford city with poet Grace Wells. The poet Thomas McCarthy is mentoring Virginia Keane/Ardmore, Molly Twomey/Lismore and Martine O’ Donovan/Tramore.

Thrilled that so many of our writers were selected to avail of this opportunity.

See https://www.munsterlit.ie for more.

By Waterford City & County Council

Waterford Winner of Eavan Boland Mentoring Award

The current Waterford Poetry Prize winner, Molly Twomey from Lismore, Co. Waterford has been announced as the poet selected to be mentored by Dorianne Laux as the Eavan Boland Award winner, established by Jacar Press to honour one of Ireland’s greatest poets.

Molly Twomey said in her application “I am a huge fan of Boland’s work and wrote an essay about her first collection, In Her Own Image, for my BA in English literature. Subsequently, I studied her poetry for my MA in Creative Writing in University College Cork where I received the title of college scholar. She empowered me to write about my own experience and that of the women around me, often through the guise of mythology.”

Molly Twomey holds an MA in Creative Writing from UCC and has been published in journals such as Poetry Ireland, Crannóg, The Stinging Fly, Banshee, and The Irish Times. She won the Padraic Colum Poetry Prize in 2019, the Waterford Poetry Prize in 2020, and has been selected for Words Ireland’s National Mentoring Programme 2020. In 2020, Molly was one of two poets from Cork, Ireland who participated in the annual international poetry exchange between Cork and Coventry (UK).

Dorianne Laux is one of the U.S.’ most beloved poets. Her sixth collection, Only As the Day is Long: New and Selected Poems was named a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Her fifth collection,The Book of Men, was awarded The Paterson Prize. Her fourth book of poems, Facts About the Moon, won The Oregon Book Award and was short-listed for the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. Laux is also the author of Awake; What We Carry, a finalist for the National Book Critic’s Circle Award; Smoke; as well as a fine small press edition, The Book of Women. She is the co-author of the celebrated text The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry.

The Arts Office congratulate Molly on this wonderful achievement and wish her continued writing success.

By Waterford City & County Council

Waterford City & County Council Festival & Event Grants 2021

Waterford City and County Council has allocated €1,287,300 in festival and event funding to aid with the development and promotion of events in Waterford City & County during 2021.   The allocation supports 70 festival and events throughout Waterford City and County with the aim to promote local festivals that have an economic, tourism, cultural/artistic or community benefit for Waterford.

Speaking following the adoption of the Festival Grants for 2021, Cllr Damien Geoghegan stated ‘As Mayor I am delighted that Waterford City & County Council is in a position to support so many events across Waterford in the coming year.  While 2020 has been a challenging year for all and many of our events could not be held, we are hopeful that by showing our continuing support for the many community and voluntary events across the county that these groups will be ready to bring vibrancy back into our communities when restrictions allow.  I would like to express my gratitude to the many voluntary and professional groups that put so much effort into their applications and help make Waterford a great place for our residents and for visitors.’

Name of Festival2021 Allocation
1848 Tricolour Celebration€4,500
A Slice of Culture€600
Arts Festival  Online Support€5,000
Bealtaine Living Earth Festival€1,500
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival€7,000
Campervan of Sound Music & Arts Festival€1,000
Camphire International Horse Trials and Country Fair€5,000
Capital of Culture/Music Generation€84,000
Celebration of International Women’s Day€1,500
Comeragh Christmas Craft Fair€1,200
Comeraghs Wild Festival€28,000
Copper Coast Festival 2021€500
Copper Coast Trad Fest 2021€2,000
Creative Ireland€15,000
Daonscoil na Mumhan€1,500
Deise Medieval Greenway2021€2,500
Dungarvan Aglow€20,000
DUNMORE EAST BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2021€10,000
Dunmore East Festival of Food, Fish and Fun€5,000
Dunmore East Walking Weekend€500
Festive Lighting€111,850
Festive Support briefing€5,000
Fun for Life 2021€500
Giggle of the Galaxy€2,000
Harvest Festival€65,000
Imagine Arts Festival€20,000
International Women’s Day Festival 2021€1,500
John Dwyer Trad Festival 2021€3,000
Knockanore Fete€1,000
Lismore Towers and Tales€5,000
ModPoets Fest 21€1,400
Nire Valley Drop MTB Challenge€1,750
O’Connell Street Festival€9,000
Pride of the Déise€2,050
Ravens Rock Rally€3,000
Robert Boyle Summer School€2,000
Seasonal Annimation in Dungarvan€10,000
Southeast Science Festival€5,000
Spraoi International Street Arts Festival€70,000
Sprog€2,000
St Patricks Day Parade, Waterford City€45,000
St. Patrick’s Day Dungarvan€5,000
St. Patricks Day Portlaw€1,000
Summer in the City 2021€59,000
Summer on The Mall€15,000
Tallow Tostal Festival€500
The Barony Of Gaultier Rose Festival.€550
THE BOOLEY HOUSE€1,000
The Carbally Art By The Sea Festival.€1,000
THE CELTIC BOX CUP€10,000
The Good Old Days Festival.€1,000
The LIT Young Writers Festival€1,800
Tionól Nicolás Tóibín€2,000
Tramore Christmas Festival€5,000
Tramore St Patricks Day Parade€5,000
Tramore Street Party€4,000
TUNEFEST€5,000
Viking River Festival€3,000
Vitamin Sea Festival€15,000
Waterford Film Festival€500
Waterford Heath and Wellbeing Family Fest€3,000
Waterford PPN Community & Voluntary Awards€5,600
Waterford Viking Marathon€22,000
WATERFORD WALLS FESTIVAL€35,000
Waterford Writers Weekend€34,000
Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing€4,000
West Waterford Festival of Food€50,000
Winterval€429,000
Wyse Park Arts Spectacle scheme€6,000
Yogafest€1,000
€1,287,300

By Waterford City & County Council

Vote for Kilbarry Nature Park in the People’s Choice Awards 2020

Help Kilbarry Nature Park become the world’s favourite Green Flag Award park by voting for it in the People’s Choice Awards 2020 at https://www.greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=3821

Kilbarry Nature Park received two Green Flag Awards in September and was the first remediated landfill to win this award. This award scheme is an international mark of quality which recognises the efforts of local community engagement with green space involvement.

Kilbarry Nature Park is a safe, secure and accessible amenity in the heart of Waterford City which encompasses an integrated wetland, wildflower meadows, Kilbarry Bog and promotes good practice in the management of native flora and fauna. A former municipal landfill site, the area has been re-mediated to create a popular space for the community.

By Waterford City & County Council

Tramore wins Overall Local Business & Community Enterprise Initiative!

Well done to all involved in Tramore on winning Overall Local Business and Community Enterprise Initiative!

Other than the €20k which the winner receives, it is a huge compliment to the town, to the various community and business organisations working together, to the Council and Waterford Chamber of Commerce and to the various contributors to the advance presentations and on judging day itself.

Waterford Local Enterprise Office and Waterford Chamber of Commerce brought together an excellent demonstration of all that Tramore has to offer and also outlined what Tramore could be in the future.

The excellent presentation by Teresanne O’Reilly of WLR FM clearly demonstrated the wealth of community endeavour, retail excellence and business innovation and so well communicated in the fitting location of the National Surf and Lifeguard Training Centre. Representatives from the retail sector, sporting organisations, community and voluntary organisation spoke with obvious pride of the resilience that Tramore has shown since early 2020 in responding to COVID-19.

It has been decided that some €5k of the winning prize will go towards the development of the town’s new Sensory Garden and that the €15k will act as a Community Contribution lever towards a larger project, possibly under Town and Village Renewal or similar. This project is to be agreed between Waterford Council, Waterford Chamber and Tramore Tidy Towns.

ENDS

By Waterford City & County Council

Recipients of the 2020 Children’s Books Ireland and Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary Awards for Mid-Career Children’s Books Artists Announced

Children’s Books Ireland and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre are pleased to announce Ashling Lindsay, Shona Shirley McDonald, Nicola Pierce, Margaret Anne Suggs and Máire Zepf as recipients of the 2020 Children’s Books Ireland/Tyrone Guthrie Centre bursaries.

https://childrensbooksireland.ie/recipients-of-the-2020-childrens-books-ireland-and-tyrone-guthrie-centre-bursary-awards-for-mid-career-childrens-books-artists-announced/

 

Support for author/illustrator Shona Shirley McDonald is provided by Waterford City and County Council Arts Office.

By Waterford City & County Council

REMINDER: 2020 Molly Keane Creative Writing Award

Waterford City & County Council’s Arts Office is pleased to announce that it is currently accepting entries for the Molly Keane Creative Writing Award 2020, and has extended the deadline for entries until May 1st.

Annually since 1998, to celebrate this rich literary life, the Waterford Arts Office, by kind permission of the Keane family has invited entries for a previously unpublished short story to a maximum of 2000 words.

There is no entry fee, no age limit and no restriction on the subject matter.  A prize of €500 will be awarded to the winner at an event in the Molly Keane Writers Retreat, Ardmore, Co. Waterford  in June 2020.

By Waterford City & County Council

Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber Shortlisted Chamber Awards 2020

Ahead of the official awards ceremony on 3rd April, Chambers Ireland announces the official shortlist for the 2020 Chamber Awards.

The Awards seek to recognise the outstanding work of Chambers around the country while providing a platform for Chambers to share and promote how active and engaged they are across several different areas.

The shortlist features projects from 17 Chambers, exemplifying the wide-ranging work being done around the country.

The Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber is shortlisted in the Local Authority Collaboration category for the project named ‘Dungarvan Home Of The Greenway – Tourism Partnership In An Evolving Market’. This collaboration between the D&WW Chamber and Waterford Council, also involves CMT Community Employment Scheme & Garvey’s Supervalu, who are collectively responsible for the development of the Dungarvan Tourist Office and it’s initiatives in recent years.

Other contenders in the Local Authority Collaboration category include

  • Cork Chamber – Ireland’s Greenest Bus Fleet
  • County Carlow Chamber – Chamber Trade Connections Export to Netherlands Programme
  • County Kildare Chamber – Kildare to Boston Trade Mission 2019
  • Drogheda & District Chamber – Drogheda Motor Show
  • Letterkenny Chamber – The Retail Promotion Initiative
  • Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber – Dungarvan Home Of The Greenway – Tourism Partnership In An Evolving Market

Congratulating the Chambers shortlisted, Colm Blake, Head of Insurance Marketing at Zurich Ireland, the main sponsor of the awards, commented, “These Awards are an opportunity to reward the excellence of the Chamber network and their members; particularly for the work they do to promote the long-term development of businesses in their communities so that they are better places in which to live, work and do business. We are thrilled to reinforce our commitment to helping the Chambers celebrate these achievements in Ireland.”

Remarking on being included in the shortlist, Chamber President David Walsh said he was “delighted that Dungarvan Chamber & partners have been recognised for their proactive collaboration which has enabled the progression of tourism locally. It is a testament to each of the parties involved that this enterprising and effective partnership has made so much progress in the last five years. We appreciate that this initiative requires cross agency support and consider this to be integral to the growth of tourism in the area.”

The Chamber Awards winners will be announced at the official awards ceremony on 3rd April at the Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. Awards will be presented for excellence in six different categories and one Chamber will be awarded the overall award of Chamber of the Year 2020.

By Waterford City & County Council

Bausch+Lomb take top prize at Waterford Business Awards

Bausch + Lomb were named Overall Waterford Business of the Year at the Waterford Business Awards on Friday night last (February 28th) at the Tower Hotel by Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr John Pratt.

The multi-national company also picked up the Exporter of the Year award on the night, which was attended by over 340 guests.

This year marks 40 years of manufacturing contact lenses in Waterford at Bausch + Lomb. Currently employing 1,400 at its plant at Waterford Industrial Park, world-wide exports are at an all-time high, driven by the success of the Biotrue One Day family of daily disposable contact lenses. The Biotrue range was developed in Waterford and there are now daily shipments from the Waterford site to markets all over the world.

The Waterford Business Awards, which are organised by Waterford Chamber, Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber and WLR and was hosted by Damien Tiernan and Julie Smyth, celebrated the successes and contributions of thirty-nine companies who were shortlisted for the 13 award categories.

Commenting at the gala dinner, Mayor Pratt said: “We have a vibrant business community here in Waterford and we are the leaders in so many fields. Tonight is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible work ethic, innovation and determination that exists in business today. Just looking around the room here tonight, the nominated companies are all winners and if we continue to work together and use that same determination these people show in business to create a better Waterford, there is nothing we cannot achieve.”

Topping the categories were GIY for Community & Social Enterprise; Rob Leslie of Sedicii won Entrepreneur of the Year; Cliff House Hotel took home the Food & Beverage Award; Quish’s SuperValu were awarded Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility; Ashleigh Environmental won Environmental Excellence; New Business of the Year went to Everett’s Restaurant; Fresh Food Courtyard took home the Retail Excellence Award; Flahavan’s won for Marketing Excellence; Small Business of the Year went to Dunmore Adventure Centre; Technology & Innovation to Bausch + Lomb; Tourism Activity/Attraction of the Year went to House of Waterford Crystal and the Training & People Development Award went to Hartley People.

The Ambassador of the Year Award, sponsored by Eirgen Pharma, was presented to John and Peter Queally.

Introducing the Queally brothers, Waterford Chamber CEO Gerald Hurley said: “It is now my great pleasure to introduce to you two brothers from Kill and Dunhill, Co. Waterford, who have dedicated their lives to both their families and their businesses and are synonymous with the food and agriculture sector not just in their native Waterford but nationally and internationally.”

The shortlisted businesses were nominated by the public and also through self-nomination for all eleven categories. An independent judging panel, under the Chairmanship of Frank O’Regan, and including David Breen, David M Breen & Co; Lena Murphy, WLR; Tina Darrer, Dooley’s Hotel; TV Honan, Spraoi; Louise Grubb, Q1 Scientific, Richie Walsh, Waterford Local Enterprise Office, Irial Mac Murchu, Nemeton TV and Noel Kelly, Inspired Leaders Shape Success, carried out the difficult task of selecting the finalist shortlist and category winners after a rigorous judging analysis of each application.
A special presentation was also made to outgoing Chair of the Judging Panel, Frank O’Regan, to acknowledge his hard work over the past six years.

Speaking on the night, Jonathan Earl, Waterford Chamber President said, “On behalf of Waterford Chamber, I would like to sincerely congratulate Bausch + Lomb on being announced as the Overall Winner of the Waterford Business Awards and to all category winners and finalists – thank you. Without your hard work and determination our business community would not be as vibrant as it is today and we wish you all continued success.”

Speaking on behalf of WLR, Des Whelan, Managing Director, said that “WLR as a local company with offices and studios in Waterford City and Dungarvan was very pleased to be involved in both organising and promoting the Waterford Business Awards. It’s such a positive night for Waterford City and County with so many world class companies and innovative business people being honoured. My congratulations to all the nominees and winners and thanks to all who entered and supported the 2019 awards.”

Waterford City and County Council sponsored the Overall Waterford Business Award, while category sponsors include Morgan McKinley, Permanent TSB, EirGen Pharma, TOTEM, AIB Bank, Faithlegg, KBC Bank, City Enterprise Centre, PwC, Waterford Institute of Technology, Port of Waterford, Waterford Local Enterprise Office, Waterford Chamber Skillnet and Dawn Meats. For further details see www.waterfordchamber.com

Ends
For more information please contact Lynda Lawton on 087 9379894.
Free to use photos from Patrick Browne Photography

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